Perfect Party Invitations,Invitation Etiquette,Party Tips,Party Ideas,

Your invitation should match the style of your event. Is it formal, semi-formal or a casual backyard get together. Your invitation provides the details of the celebration as well as what to expect at the party. We believe that hosting a good party begins with the invitation. A perfect invitation compels your prospective guests to Want to, Need to, attend your party! Whether your style is simple elegance or bold, trendy color, your invitations can set the tone for a stylish extravaganza. This is your time to shine. Make the most of it. Please visit The Purple Mermaid for a collection of the most stylish and unique invitations on the web. Contact us with any questions.

When to mail your Invitations

Traditionally, it is advised to send out invitations eight weeks before a formal event. For an informal event, 2-6 weeks is sufficient. Obviously, the sooner you can notify your guests, the better, but don't let this stress you out or prevent you from getting perfect invitations at the last minute.

If you know you're having a party for an event that is several months away, consider sending a Save the Date card. This is simply a notice to your guest list that you are planning an event for that date and to mark their calendars so they'll be ready when the details follow by invitation closer to the party date when the details have been finalized. Save the Date cards are almost a necessity for events taking place on holiday weekends, events that will require out of state travel for guests or a wedding to ensure vacations are not scheduled for the same time.

What to include in your Invitation

Name of the host(s)/hostess(es) or parent(s) giving the party

The purpose of the invitation: A birthday party, a wedding, a holiday open house.

Name of honoree (the birthday person, the mother-to-be, the bride and groom)

Day and Date of the party (Saturday, August 29th or if it is formal, Saturday, the twenty-nineth of August). Look at your calendar to make sure the as in this example, the 29th of August is really on a Saturday.

If a formal event, include the year and spell it out (two thousand and four)

Time (6:00 p.m., or for formal events, spell out the time such as six o'clock in the evening)

Name of Place (i.e., Restaurant)

Location of Place (street address, city and state if inviting out of town guests, but no zip code)

Appropriate attire if it is an issue with your party (do not use on formal invitations-the event should be the clue as to the appropriate attire).

Proof read several times for mistakes and/or forgotten information! Even have a friend read it.

Wording your Invitation

All phrasing is in the third person.

Example: John and Sally announce the birth of their son...

Do not use abbreviations.

Example: Spell out words such as Road, Street, and state names; California

Days, dates are always spelled out

Example: Monday or September

Times and Years should be spelled out on wedding or formal invitations

Example: Four o'clock in the afternoon / Two Thousand Four

Punctuation is not used at the end of the lines. (no commas, periods, colons., etc.)

Example: John and Sally invite you to join the fun. (leave off the period)

Commas can be used to separate information that appears on the same line such as:

Example: November 14, 2004 or Rochester, New York

It is socially incorrect to mention "no children allowed" or to mention gifts. We have found that most people follow these rules on strict formal invitations such as black tie or wedding invitations, however, on informal invitations, anything goes. When in doubt, you can inform your guests of any important details when they RSVP to the invitation.

Tip of The Day From The Purple Mermaid

People always want to know how to handle the uncomfortable situation of the guest who does not respond to an invitation. This is especially important for any party where numbers really make a difference, such as a wedding or a sit-down formal dinner. The Purple Mermaid suggests that a host should call guests who do not respond in a timely manner and simply say "We are looking forward to seeing you at the party and just wanted to be certain that you received your invitation". There are occassions where the invitation was actually lost in the mail! The call helps to avoid hurt feelings if this is the case and gives you an accurate number of guests that will be attending your event.